Brits want clearer wine labels

16th February 2011 - Fine Cut

Nine out of ten wine drinks want alcohol levels to be clearly displayed on the product labels found on the front of the bottle.

The results form part of a nationwide survey from wineoption.org, a consumer group that is campaigning for radical change within the wine trade. Of the 500 drinks questions, 71 per cent said they believed the percentage of alcohol in wine should be clearly displayed in pubs and restaurants, in a similar way to how alcohol levels are display for draught beers.

The research found that 93 per cent of respondents slammed the use of meaningless and confusing jargon often found on wine labels. The finding is one that supports WineOption's campaign against condescension and snobbery in the wine trade, Female First reports.

Spokesman Simon Green said: "We find it astonishing that in today's environment it is not compulsory to display the alcohol level clearly on the front label. The amount of alcohol in a bottle of wine not only reflects how quickly the drink 'goes to your head,' but also its calorie content and taste."

"Suppliers, retailers, bars and restaurants must recognise the demand for clearly displayed information and must implement long-overdue change now," he added.

According to the survey results, consumers are still keen to see a change in the way wine is displayed in supermarket aisles. Results showed that 78 per cent of supermarket customers are confused by the way supermarkets display wine by country of origin and variety. Wine drinkers would prefer bottles to be displayed in categories such as "light and refreshing" and "big and full bodied." The survey also indicated that categorising wines by the occasions or by which dishes they suit is also favourable.